The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-09-01

accompanied you. Out of that grassplot
she plucked flowers, or into that show win
dow she looked, fascinated, saying:
"Come, see the pictures" Go deeper into
business! Why, she was associated with
all your business ambition, and since she
has gone you have no ambition left. Oh,
this is clumsy world when it tries to
Corliss engine, can paint RaphaePs
MADONNA" l can play q Beethoven's
SYMPHONY" as easily as this world can
comfort broken heart. And yet you have
been comforted. How was it done2 Did
Christ come TO you and say: "Get your
mind off this; 60 out and breathe the fresh
air; plunge deeper into business?" No.
There was minute when he came to you
perhaps in the watches of the night,
perhaps in your place of business, perhaps
along the street-and he breathed some-
thing into your soul that gave peace, rest,
infinite quiet, so that you could take ont
the photograph of the departed one and
look into the eyes and the face of the dear
one, and say: at is all right; she is better
off would not call her back. Lord,
thank thee that thou hast comforted my
poor heart.
There are ChistiOn parents here who are
wiling TO testify to the power of this Cos
pei 10 COullOlls IOuL sui IhNt just Slluu-
ated from school or college and was going
into business, ana the Lord took him. Or
your daughter had just graduated from the
young ladies' seminary an8 you thought
she was going to be a useful woman and Of
long life; but the Lord took her and you
were tempted to say All this culture Of
twenty years for nothing" Or a little
child came home from school with the hot
fever that stopped not for the agonized
prayer or for the skillful physician, and
the little child was taken. Or the babe
was lifted out of your arms by some quick
epidemic, and you stood wondering why
God ever gave you that child at all, if so
soon He was to take it away. And yet you
are not repining, you are not fretful, you
are not fighting against God.
What has enabled you to stand all the
trial? ooh, you say, 81 took the medicine
that God gave my sick soul. In my dis
tress threw myself Mt the feet Of a SYM
pathizing G cd; and when was too weak
to pray or to look up He breathed into me
a peace that | think must be the foretaste
of that Heaven where there is neither
tear, nor a farewell, nor q grave" Come,
all We who have been out to the grave to
weep there-come, all ye comforted souls,
get up off your knees. Is there no power
in this Gospel to soothe the heart? Is
there no power in this religion to quiet the
worst paroXysm of grief? There comes up
IN answer from comforted widowhood,
and orphanage, and childlessness, saying:
"Aye, aye, we are Witnesses"
Again, | remark that We are witnesses
of the fact that religion has power to give
comDosure in the last moment. I shall
never forget the first time | confronted
death. We went across the cornfelds in
tha ,t1,y laI lu my fptbnp'a
hand and we came to the farm house
where the bereavement had come, and We
saw the crowd Of wagons and carriages;
but there was one carriage that especially
attracted my bOyish attention, and it had
black plumes. | said: "What's that?
whats.that? Why those black tassels ut
the topy" and after it was explained to me
I was lifted up to look upon the bright
face of an aged Christian woman, who
three days before had parted in triumph.
The whole scene made an impression l
never forgot.
In our sermons and in our lay eXhorta-
tons We are very apt, when we want to
bring illustrations Of dying triumph, to so
back to some distinguished personage-to
John Knox or a Harriet Newell. But L
want you for witnesses.
want to know if you have ever seen
any lulllB W LhihG AOu bGlANNC bllhV OLIV lO'
ligion of Christ can give composure in the
final hour. Now, in the courts, attorney,
jury, and Judge will never admit mere hear
say. They demand that the witness must
have seen with his own eyes, or heard
with his own ears, and so | am critical in
my examination of you now, and l want
to know whether you have seen or heard
anything that makes YOU believe that the
religion of Christ gives comfort in the
final hour.
"Oh, yes" you say, "I saw my father
! and mother depart. There was great
! difference in their death beds. Standing
by the one we felt more veneration. BY
the other there was more tenderness"
Before the one you bowed perhaps in awe.
In the other case you felt as if you would
like to 20 along with her. How did they
feel in that last hour? How did they seem
to act? Were they very much frightened?
Did they take hold of this world with
both hands as though they did not want to
give it up? "Ol no, you say; "no, re-
member rs though it were yesterday; she
had q kind word for us all, and there were
a few mementoes distributed among the
children, and then she told us how kind
we must be to our father in his loneliness,
and then she kissed us good-b and went
asleep as a child in a cradle"
What made her so composed? Natural
courage? NO" You say; another was
very nervous. When the carriage inclined
to the side of the road she would CRY out.
She was always rather weakly" What,
then, gave her cemposure? Was it because
she did not care much for you and the
pang of parting was not great? "Oh, you
say, "she showered upon us wealth of
affection; no mother ever loved her chill
!. H.
showed it by the way she nursed us when
we were sick. and she toiled for us until
her strength gave out" What, then, was it
that gave her comDosure in the last hour?
Do not hide it. Be frank and let me
know. "Oh, you say, "it was because she
: was so good. She made the Lord her
portion, and she had faith that she would
60 straight to glory, and that we should
, all meet her at last at the foot of the
throne"
Here are people who say: "I saw q
Christian brother die, and he triumphed."
,, And some one else: 81 saw Christian
sister die, and she triumphed." Some one
, else will say: 81 saw a Christian daughter
die and she triumphed." Come, all ye
who have seen the last moments Of
Christian, and give testimony in this cause
on trial. Uncover your heads, put your
hand on the old family Bible from which
they used to read the promises, and
promises in the presence of high
heaven that you will tell
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth. With what you have seen with
your own eyes, and from what you have
heard with your own ears, is there power
in this Gospel to give calmness and
triumph in the last eSieency? The re-
sponse comes from all sides, from young,
and old, and middle aged 1--WE are wit
nesses"
You see, my friends, have not put be-
fore you an abstraction, or chimera, or
anything like guess work. present you